August 29 - Day 11

Up for an early start.  The room was so tiny we had to take turns going from one side to the other. Every shower and light fixture is different in each hotel.  That is part of the learning process.  We can’t run the shower without keeping the door closed or it will set off the fire alarm.  Breakfast downstairs and it is mostly what we have had most mornings but this time there is porridge.  On the bus to Loch Ness, famous for the Loch Ness monster.  The Ness River runs out of the Loch through Inverness to the North Sea.  Our hotel is located away from the town center so we see it for the first time today as we drive through.  It brings back memories of bringing the kids up here and staying downtown on the river.  The Caledonian Canal runs parallel to the river and lake.  We have seen so many canals this trip it’s beginning to be a theme.  We take a cruise on Loch Ness aboard a catamaran The Jacobite.  The loch is actually a combination of fault line that completely divides Scotland in two and an inland fjord formed by glaciers.  The sides are steep and it is very very deep.  The water is brackish with peat runoff.  The area reminds us of areas of Alaska with a lot of pine trees.  There’s a few houses/farms on the hillsides but mostly it’s too steep to hold much. We come into view of Urquhart Castle, old ruins and scene of war and conquest.  We alight here and walk the Castle and visit the Visitor’s Center.  We have to walk many steps and steep hillside, it is very demanding.  We are traveling mostly narrow roads that parallel the ocean.  We stop at Dornoch, a quaint little town with  many historic buildings including Dornoch Castle now a hotel and also see a large church.  We have a quick lunch at The Eagle, an historic pub on the high street.  Pat finds a charity shop and a nice Edinburgh vase for a steal.  Back on the bus to Dunrobin Castle.  The drive takes us through a lot of fields and then areas so rocky nothing can grow.  We follow the water most of the way and cross two lovely firths (bays) with picturesque surroundings.  We see a dormant oil rig in one of the bays and then further out we can see working ocean rig platforms.  We didn’t think the North Sea drilling was this far west but there it is. Explains why there seems to be so much wealth in Inverness and surrounding areas besides all the agriculture.  We arrive at Dunrobin Castle and it is incredible.  The home of the Sutherlands.  The building itself is a fairy tale with turrets and facades. The inside is very pleasant with interesting antiques.  But it is the gardens and the views from the building wide veranda.  The gardens are very sophisticated with mazes made out of bushes, a fountain and all forms of geometric patterns.  It is as beautiful as anything we have seen in the English style gardens.  The view from the veranda overlooks the huge gardens down to the sea.  There is also a separate building serving as a museum of the family’s collections of animals and other collectables.  The best was thing was the falconry demonstration. Their falconer who lives on the property breeds raptors from various parts of the world and also is a recovery for injured birds.  He demonstrates the hunting practices of the owl, Harris hawk (American) and the peregrine falcon.  It is an amazing demonstration.  There is an exhibit of live hawks, owls and an eagle. Back on the bus to the town of Thurso.  This town of 9k sits on the top northern edge of Scotland.  It is our gateway to the Orkney Islands tomorrow.  We are staying near the high street in the Royal Hotel.  We have had this experience in other UK settings.  Old hotels that they build onto and produce a maze of hallways and stairs to get to the room.  In all hotels so far there are only two elevators.  One is used by the staff to try to get our bags to the room in an efficient manner and the other by bus loads of tourists.  So we end up taking the stairs a lot.  It makes for a day full of stair taking.  We take a quick walk around the town.  Very simple with a couple cute shops, a beautiful town square and garden and a central large church.  We walk over for a view from the beach because the town sits on the North Sea.  We can see the Orkney Islands off in the distance shrouded by clouds.  And the coastal cliffs are quite dramatic. We see the ferry coming in from the Orkney’s, we’ll be on it tomorrow.  We have begun to see a strange kind of stone wall used for fencing in the fields and as a border fence in Thurso homes.  The only other place we have seen it is in Galway, Ireland, particularly at the Cliffs of Morr.  We go back to the hotel for our dinner served on the tour. Pat has fresh caught cod and Chuck has the chicken, simple cooked potatoes and veg.  Chuck has chocolate cake and Pat has profiteroles (cream puffs). After dinner we go to see the Thurso pipe and drum band playing in the square nearby.  They are in full dress tartan and march very smartly and play well.  Then comes the local girl Scottish dancers.  Ranging in age from 5 to 18, in full dance tartan.  They do a couple highland dances including the sword dance.  The little ones are adorable, they frown in their concentration.  Back to the hotel it’s a very early and long day tomorrow.

NOTE:  Our room is huge and so is the bath, quite a contrast to last night!  We’re tucked up under the roof and on one of the main drags.  It’s Saturday night so there will be activity.  Hope it’s minimal!